The Post-Holiday Survival Guide

"Hey, Sarah! It’s been a minute! How have you been?" Mark asked as he slumped into his office chair, looking completely wiped out.

Sarah looked up from her monitor, her eyes looking a bit foggy. "Oh, hey Mark. Honestly? I’m still half asleep. I definitely have a bad case of the post-holiday blues. I had a good holiday, but coming back to reality is brutal."

Mark nodded in sympathy. "I feel you. I’m running on empty. I spent the last day of my trip at a weird farm in Australia. I actually got chased by an ostrich for an hour and a half! I had to run through mud in my wellies, and by the time I got home, I was too exhausted to even eat supper."

Sarah laughed, momentarily breaking her sluggish mood. "An ostrich? That’s wild! I just stayed in the countryside. It rained the whole time, so I was stuck in my rubber boots too. But now, I’m staring at 500 unread messages. I have so many emails to catch up on. I’m already so far behind on the quarterly report."

"Tell me about it," Mark sighed. "I thought I could ease back into the routine, but my boss wants the marketing plan by noon. I had to hit the ground running the moment I clocked in. I’m not really back yet mentally. My brain is still on a beach somewhere."

"I’m not feeling it either," Sarah admitted. "I’m feeling kind of meh. I tried to switch into work mode with three shots of espresso, but I still feel out of it. I’m seriously playing catch-up with my own sanity right now."

Mark stood up to head toward the breakroom. "Well, don't try to be a hero. Just take it easy today. You want another coffee?"

Sarah gave a weak smile. "Yes, please. Make it a large. I need to catch up on my caffeine levels before I even attempt to get back into the swing of things."